The Hemispheric Security Conference (HSC) is an annual conference held where experts from academia, governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and private sectors converge to examine the most pressing security challenges facing the Western Hemisphere.
HSC features thought leaders from hemispheric governments, including senior military officials and leaders of the industry.
HSC DAY ONE AGENDA
- 8:00 - 9:00 AM | Registration Check-In
- 9:00 - 9:05 AM | Introductory Remarks
- 9:05 - 9:10 AM | Welcome Remarks
- 9:10 - 10:20 AM | Fireside Chat
- 10:20 - 10:50 AM | Virtual Keynote Address
- 10:50 - 11:20 AM | Networking Break
- 11:20 - 11:50 AM | Fireside Chat
- 11:50 AM - 12:50 PM | Panel: Economic Security as National Security - The Role of the Private Sector
Description: Explore how private sector entities perceive and tackle diverse security challenges, and delve into strategies for enhanced collaboration with US and regional governments to fortify economic security as a cornerstone of national security.
- 12:50 - 2:20 PM | Lunch Fireside Chat with various Ministers of Defense
- 2:20 - 3:20 PM | Panel: The Role of Allies and Partners in Helping Boost LAC Security
Description: Analyze the pivotal role of allies and partners in bolstering security across Latin America and the Caribbean, with a focus on aid initiatives, strategic coordination, and the collective efforts aimed at fostering stability and prosperity in the region.
- 3:20 - 3:50 PM | Networking Break
- 3:50 - 4:50 PM | Panel: The Internationalization of TCOs
Description: Examine the evolving landscape of transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the intricate connections between LAC TCOs and groups from China, Italy, Albania, Turkey, and beyond. Delve into the implications of US-China strategic competition, growing military exchanges, port investments, environmental concerns, and the advent of 5G technology in the region.
- 4:50 - 5:00 PM | Wrap-Up and Networking
HSC DAY TWO AGENDA
- 7:45 - 8:30 AM | Registration Check-In
- 8:30 - 8:31 AM | Introductory Remarks
- 8:31 - 8:45 AM | Opening Remarks
- 8:45 - 9:15 AM | Keynote Address
- 9:15 - 10:15 AM | Panel: Emerging Threats in Cyberspace
Description: Explore the dynamic landscape of emerging threats in cyberspace, including cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns, and the integration of AI. Delve into how Partner Nations (PNs) are fortifying their cyber defense capabilities and gearing up to combat disinformation, particularly in the context of upcoming elections in Guatemala, Argentina, Paraguay (2023), Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela (2024).
- 10:15 - 10:30 AM | FIU Dashboards Presentation
- 10:30 - 11:00 AM | Networking Break
- 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Panel: Threats and Opportunities with Emerging Technologies
Description: Assess the multifaceted landscape of emerging technologies, focusing on the development and implementation of Safe/Smart Cities initiatives. Highlight countries making significant strides and share best practices. Additionally, discuss the implications of space technology on security and explore both the threats and opportunities it presents.
- 12:00 - 12:30 PM | Lunch
- 12:30 - 1:30 PM | Lunch Time Panel: Haiti's Future
Organized by: Haitian American Foundation for Democracy
- 1:30 - 2:30 PM | Panel: Environmental Challenges Impacting Hemispheric Security
Description: Address the critical environmental challenges affecting hemispheric security, with a specific focus on water security and its implications. Examine the nexus between migration and security dynamics, particularly along the Panama border. Conclude with a 10-minute virtual address by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, offering insights into environmental security from a global perspective.
- 2:30 - 3:30 PM | Panel: Energy and Strategic Mining
Description: Explore the intersection of energy security and strategic mining, with a particular emphasis on issues such as lithium mining and its implications for regional stability. Discuss strategies for ensuring energy resilience and sustainable resource management in the face of evolving geopolitical dynamics.
- 3:30 - 3:45 PM | Networking Break
- 3:45 - 4:15 PM | Fireside Chat
- 4:15 - 5:15 PM | Panel: Extra-Hemispheric Actors
Description: Analyze the evolving engagement of extra-hemispheric actors in the region and its various national security implications. Explore the shifting dynamics of foreign involvement, assess the motives behind these engagements, and discuss potential strategies for mitigating associated risks while maximizing opportunities for regional cooperation and development.
- 5:15 - 5:30 PM | Concluding Remarks
Our HSC 2024 Keynote Speakers
Thank you to our 2024 Partners
Previous Years
- 2023
HSC 2023 Panel Videos
HSC2023 video series on YouTube
Opening Remarks YouTube
Welcome Remarks with DASD Daniel Erikson YouTube
Fireside Chat with Ambassador Paula Dobriansky YouTube
Remarks from Congressional Representative Mario Diaz-Balart YouTube
Protecting our People: Achievements in Citizen Security YouTube
Video Message: General Laura Richardson YouTube
Chat with Vice Admiral Alvin Holsey YouTube
Fireside Chat with Special Assistant to the President & NSC Senior Director Juan Gonzalez YouTube
Fireside Chat with USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman YouTube
After COP27: Climate Change & Environmental Security YouTube
Fireside Chat with Ron Johnson, Former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador YouTube
In the Middle: Opportunities and Challenges in the Era of U.S.-China Strategic Competition YouTube
Day 2 Opening Remarks with Ana Gonzalez YouTube
Fireside Chat with Sébastien Carriére, Canadian Ambassador to Haiti YouTube
Securing Cyberspace YouTube
Keynote Address with Mario Montoto YouTube
What's Next in Tech and Security YouTube
- 2022
Hosted by FIU’s Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), the 7th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference (HSC) included 10 security-focused discussions from May 17-20. The sessions were streamed live and were available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Some of the notable speakers for HSC2022 included Juan S. Gonzalez, Special Assistant to President Biden and National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere, Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Special Advisor for the 2022 Summit of the Americas, and many more.
Panel Videos
HSC2022 video series on YouTube
Conference Welcome YouTube
Fireside Chat with Juan S. Gonzalez YouTube
Summit of the Americas Preview YouTube
The Impact of Cybersecurity on Western Hemisphere Security YouTube
Keynote Address by Daniel Erikson YouTube
The Future of the Armed Forces in Latin America YouTube
The Geopolitical Convergence in Venezuela YouTube
Keynote Address by Kerri S. Hannan YouTube
Disinformation, Democracy, and the Inter-American System YouTube
The Reexamination of the 2003 Declaration on Security in the Americas YouTube
Keynote Address by Matthew D. Steinhelfer YouTube
Examining Democracy in the Americas Through Case Studies YouTube
Supported by
- 2021
Hosted by FIU’s Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), the 6th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference (HSC) included 10 security-focused virtual discussions from May 17-21. The sessions were streamed live and were available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Some of the notable speakers for HSC2021 included Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and chief medical advisor to the president, Epsy Campbell Barr, Vice President of Costa Rica, Juan González, special assistant to the president and NSC senior director for the Western Hemisphere, and many more.
Panel Videos
HSC2021 video series on YouTube
Conference Welcome YouTube
A Conversation with Lt. General Andrew Croft YouTube
Security Landscape in the Western Hemisphere YouTube
The Impacts of Climate Change on Security in the Caribbean and Central America YouTube
Political and Security Challenges in Central America and the Caribbean YouTube
The Future of Military Institutions in the Americas YouTube
The Impact of COVID-19 on Security in the Americas YouTube
A Conversation with Dan Erikson, DASD Western Hemisphere YouTube
United States Southern Command COVID-19 Fireside Chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci YouTube
The Future of the Amazon: Strategic and Global Implications YouTube
- 2020
Nearly 1,800 people from 30 countries attended FIU’s 5th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference (HSC), breaking attendance records from previous years. For the past four years, the HSC was a daylong event at FIU but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s conference evolved into an online event with eight security-focused virtual discussions that took place May 18-22. Attendees tuned in live through Zoom and Facebook and watched in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
The conference brought together former Latin American presidents Michelle Bachelet and Luis Guillermo Solis, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) officials and other thought leaders from across the hemisphere to discuss the region’s security challenges.
Panel Videos
HSC video series on Facebook | HSC video series on YouTube
Threats and Opportunities in the Americas: A Conversation with Admiral Craig S. Faller
Militaries in the Americas Facebook | YouTube
Evolving Security Landscape Facebook | YouTube
Women in Peace & Security: A Conversation with Ambassador Jean Manes Facebook | YouTube
Global Pandemics and the Citizen and National Implications Facebook | YouTube
Human Rights in the Americas: A Conversation with High Commissioner Bachelet Facebook | YouTube
Crisis in Venezuela Continues: Strategies for Ending the Humanitarian Crisis and Restoring Democracy Facebook | YouTube
Security Trends in the Caribbean and Central America Facebook | YouTube
- 2019
Fourth Annual Hemispheric Security Conference | May 22, 2019 | Miami, FL
Click here to view pictures from the 2019 HSC.
- 2018
